A hand trolley is a device used by an operator to carry loads. A hand trolley may also be known as a hand truck, a dolly, a two-wheeler, a sack truck, a trolley truck, a sack barrow or a bag barrow. A hand trolley generally has an “L”-shaped side profile, with a base or ledge forming the bottom of the “L” and an upright or back forming the upright part of the “L”. Wheels are affixed to the hand trolley at the back of the base (at the corner of the “L” shape), so that loads can be placed on the base from the front of the trolley.
In use, a load is placed on the base, or the hand trolley is moved underneath a load (e.g., by tipping the load away from the hand trolley and wheeling the hand trolley under the load). The upright can then be pulled back, away from the load, thus lifting the load as the hand trolley rotates about an axis defined by an axle of the wheels. The hand trolley thus acts a lever to lift loads from the ground. The hand trolley can be tipped back, e.g., so the centre of gravity of the load is generally aligned over the wheels, thus allowing the hand trolley to be wheeled by hand to easily transport the load. A hand trolley lifts its load, and its base, a short distance from the ground so the loaded hand trolley can roll on its wheels. When the hand trolley is in its standing or stationary condition, the base rests on the ground, and the load is no longer lifted from the ground.
Hand trolleys may be used in domestic, commercial and industrial settings. For example, hand trolleys can be used to transport loads such as bags of building material (e.g., cement) or horticulture and gardening supplies (e.g., bags of soil) in commercial settings (e.g., hardware stores and nurseries) and domestic and industrial settings (e.g., private homes, farms and building sites).
In these settings, there is frequently a need to lift and lower loads, including loads that are typically transported by hand trolleys, between the base of the hand trolley and a significant and substantial distance from the ground, e.g., for storage or transportation. There may be a need to move loads to and from shelves which are some substantial distance from the ground, e.g., for stacking goods in a warehouse or store. Loads may need to be moved to and from transport vehicles or systems, such as utility vehicles, light trucks, car boots/trunks, conveyor belts, etc. For example, an operator may need to lift a load from a hand trolley into their vehicle or back again, e.g., in a hardware supply store or tree nursery.
Across the world, loads of significant weight, e.g., from 10 kg to 200 kg, are being manually lifted by individual persons, or groups of people from hand trolleys into storage or transport devices. Similarly, people are lifting loads from storage or transport devices down to the ground for transport by hand trolley; or in some cases pushing the loads from the raised storage/transport platform onto the ground (e.g., dropping the load from a shelf or vehicle).
To lift a load to a raised platform or area, e.g., for storage or transportation, a hand trolley may be pushed or dragged up a ramp (e.g., a delivery ramp or a plank) to a height at least equal to the raised platform, where the load is delivered. In some situations, however, it may be time-consuming, difficult or impossible to drive a hand trolley into a position generally adjacent to and level with a desired raised area. For example, when stacking loads into shelves, there may be no ramps available on which to drive a hand trolley.
Devices exist to assist with lifting and lowering loads, such as electrically-powered fork lifts, or platforms that can be winched or cranked to different heights; however, these devices can be large, expensive and difficult to manufacture, and unwieldy, difficult and/or slow to operate.
People continue therefore to lift and lower loads unsafely, in ways that may strain or injure the persons and/or damage the loads. For example, people lifting or lowering loads in a manner that is not within their physiological abilities may cause major injuries to themselves, to other people, to equipment, and to the loads. If a load is too heavy, it may be dropped, which may damage the load and/or injure a person (e.g., by falling on the person). Weaker people may find it difficult to lift loads that are normally lifted by strong adults, thus there may be a lack of accessible facilities for lifting these loads.
It is desired to address or ameliorate one or more disadvantages or limitations associated with the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative.